Back in September my husband and I saw "Little Miss Sunshine" and I thought I had reviewed it for this site, but apparently I had written a bit but saved it and hadn’t posted it. In my defense it was while we were in the middle of unpacking having just moved to Chicago, but still I’m a bit embarrassed. Now that the movie has been nominated for Oscars I realized my mistake and will attempt to review it now.

The movie stars Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Paul Dano, Alan Arkin, Toni Collette and Steve Carell and is about a dysfunctional family going on a road trip so the adorable little Olive played by Abigail Breslin can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine competition. The main reason I wanted to see this movie was because I LOVE Steve Carell! He was hilarious in "The 40 Year Old Virgin" and I love his character on the TV show "The Office". In Little Miss Sunshine he’s at his best playing a gay disgraced former professor who attempted suicide and ends up living with his sister played by Toni Collette. I may have went to the theatre for Steve however I was pleasantly surprised to find a fantastic ensemble cast, with some outstanding performances by newcomers Abigail Breslin and Paul Dano.

11 year old Abigail Breslin has been nominated for an Academy award for her performance in the film and I believe it is well deserved. She’s adorable yet introspective as Olive who essentially brings her whole family together through her determination to win the pageant and make her grandfather proud.

Paul Dano plays Dwayne who’s taken a vow of silence in order to prove that he has what it takes to get into flight school. It hilarious watching him interact with Steve as they share a small bedroom and then an even more crowded back seat of the family’s VW bus.

There were also great performances by Greg Kinnear, the father and ambitious motivational speaker who just doesn’t have what it takes. Alan Arkin who plays the drunk, horny and quirky grandfather and Toni Collette, the mother who is desperately trying to hold her family together in the face of much adversity.

All in all a fantastically original movie that anyone who’s ever been in or around a dysfunctional family can appreciate and enjoy. Cross your fingers for Abigail and the movie on Sunday at the Oscars!

Tags: little miss sunshine, review, oscars, abigail breslin